Automatic ash chute



July 7, 1931. T. BURLEY 1,813,481

AUTOMATI C ASH CHUTE Filed April 24. 1929 g-rwe'nto'o Thomas Burle y 4 21 a attain wt; I

Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES THOMAS BunLEY, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,

AUTOMATIC ASH CI'IUTE Application filed April 24,

My invention relates to automatic ash chutes and the principal objects of the invention are to provide a chute having a pivoted trap-door and a counterweight whereby the ashes, upon reaching sufficient weight to overcome the resistance caused by the counterweight, will automatically dump themselves and whereupon the trap-door now being lighter than the counterweight will again be caused to assume its normal horizontal position in readiness for a repetition of the foregoing described dumping process. Other objects are to provide adjustable means for the counterweight, inclined means whereby the ashes gravitate to the trap-door, and slotv means for pivotal installation of the trapdoor. Further objects are to provide an ash chute that is simple and durable in construction, efiicient and reliable in operation, and which may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, adaptation, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing my ash chute installed within an ash well;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of an ash well and showing the chute installed therein in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical secgion taken on a broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse vertical section taken on a broken line 4, 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals designate like parts, the numerals 5 and 6 indicate the end walls and the numerals 7 and 8 indicate the side walls of my ash chute frame which is preferably made of cast metal and in rectangular shape. An inclined shelf 9 has one of its ends either integral with or fixed to the end wall 5 near the upper edge thereof and its side edge portions either integral or secured to the side walls 7 and 8 of the frame.

1929. Serial No. 357,844.

Said shelf slopes downwardly with its free edge portion 10 disposed transversely of the side walls as clearly shown in the drawings. Oppositely disposed slots 11 are provided in the side walls with their ends 12 slightly lowered and a little below and back from the edge portion 10 of the inclined shelf for reasons presently set forth.

The space between the shelf edge 10 and the end wall 6 of the ash chute frame is normally closed by a trap-door 13. Said trap-door has a depending lip or flange ll disposed at right angles thereto and pivot pins 15 project from the angular junction of said lip and trapdoor. To install said door it is held in a slantwise position when the pivot pins are inserted in the slots 11 and'it is then brought to a transverse position and moved forward until said pins drop into the lowered slot ends 12 as will be understood. In Fig.3 it will be noted that when the trap-door is in its 'normally horizontal position it will engage the underside of the shelf edge portion 10 which will thus serve as stop means for retaining said door in the horizontal position.

In order to retain the trap-door 13 in a normallyhorizontal position a screw-rod 16 is secured in the lower central edge portion of the lip 14 and a member 17 threadedly disposed thereon is adapted to be moved back and forth by turning same as will be understood. A counterweight 18 is pivotally suspended from said traveling member whose combined weight together with the screw-rod is greater than that of the trap-door which is thereby held in a normally horizontal position. To adjust said counterweight for its automatic function said traveling member is turned to the left until it carries the counterweight a sufiicient distance from the depending lip to substantially equal the weight of the door together with the weight of the load of ashes that is to be dumped.

The ashes upon dropping from a grate or the like will fall upon the trap-door 13, or upon the inclined shelf 9 and slide downwardly to said trap-door, until their accumulated weight over-balances the counterweight 18 at which point the trap-door will swing downwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The ashes will of course slide ofit' the door and fall into the ash Well and the door will again be caused to assume its horizontal position as before. When once properr v ly adjusted this dumping process will continue indefinitely and the device will require no care or attention. I have found in practice that the function of the device is improved by pivotally suspending the counter- Weight from its traveling member rather than making it an integral part thereof.

Having thus described my invention, it being understood that minor changes may be resorted to in its construction Without departing from its scope and spirit, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An automatic ash chute comprising a frame, an inclined shelf, a trap-door, pivot pins for the trap-door disposed in the lowered ends of elongated slots, a counter Weight for the trap-door, adjustable means for the counterweight, pivotal suspension means for the counterweight, and stop means for retaining the trap-door in a normally closed horizontal position. a

2. An automatic ash chute having in combination a frame, an inclined shelf embodynig substantially half the frame area, a-trap door normally arranged to close the other half of the frame area, a pivotal mounting for the edge corners of the trap door adj-ustably disposed in slots centrally of the frame, a flange for the trap door depending from its pivotal end edge, a. rod for the lower end of said flange projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to the extension therefrom of the trap door, and a counterweight pivotally and adj ustably suspended from said rod.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of February, A. D.

1929. v ,7 THOMAS BURLE'Y. 

